I'm still trying to wrap my head around how in the fuck former rhythm guitarist for extreme metal group Vallenfyre, Ian Mullinger, has gotten the synthwave game down so well he's beating veterans at their own genre. Perhaps the metalhead is more of a electronic nutcase than anyone has ever panned him out to be. Needless to say his previous album Paranormalizer was a decent success with me though I knew Ian Mullinger under the project name of Electric Dragon had much more potential than the debut showed off.

With all that said Electric Dragon is about to release their next album titled Covenant and I will gloat in my prophecy of ED doing much better than they did with their debut. I like being right especially when it comes to pointing out musicians with potential. I'm glad that Mullinger didn't disappoint me and make me look like an ass or get my hopes down...Yet.

The one thing that does irk me about the album - though this is not going to detract any points at all for this is just me being a genre stickler - is that Electric Dragon's bandcamp page refers to the album as "...a Darkwave monster..." When I think Darkwave I think Joy Division, Gary Numan, and The Cure and Electric Dragon does not fit that description at all and I'm glad of it. 'Covenant' is a damned good synthwave beast that I am holding high.

The title track 'Covenant' is just an 80s nerd's dream that combines awesome power metal like guitar work with all things electronic; dream electronic synths pulsate and pound away the beginning to this story. The song itself and it themes coincide well with the medieval lore bound within Electric Dragon's world. I could honestly see this whole album being a soundtrack for a cheesy B-movie homage to all those stuck-in-virtual-space movies where a protagonist has to fight off an evil sorcerer in an unreal world.

From there a combination of lo-fi electronic goodness and well produced synths take over. Each song plays off its title in an almost deconstructing way, such as howls being brought out alongside chimes in 'Wolf's Blood' and spooky bells and sounds being wrung out in 'Witching Hour'.

'The Curse' has an amazing grinding, atmospheric layering to it and even goes into a bit of dark ambiance before reblasting you in the face with amazing synth work. I forgot to mention the wonderful chase like music played throughout 'Dark City' as well as the very well produced track 'Legion Black'. So, if you're thinking about skipping it, don't. Or I will find you. And hurt you. In the balls.

'Heretic' is just grand in all the right ways, featuring holy choral samples, a thunderstorm, and what sounds like a demon being summoned from Hell. The track is therefore epic and worthy of a final boss fight in any video game or even the fucking real life post apocalypse that everyone hopes for. The final song on the album 'Escape' is just more Electric Dragon goodness; a great beat, great synths, and an even greater end to a great album. Great. Great. Great.

The fun doesn't end there, however, as two remixes are attached to Electronic Dragon's Covenant. The first of is a remix of 'Dark City' done by fellow synthwave rocker Volkor X. He gives out a wicked crunchy guitar rework of the song that's tougher and grittier than the original and just as good. The second remix came from house/retrowave artist Gost who reworked 'Witching Hour' into a track that built up as it went. It starts off minimally, gradually increases sounds, and finished off with some decent noisey work.

But, yes, I think I said enough and if I haven't convinced you to at least go out and check this one out then you're obviously just a cunt. Electric Dragon's Covenant is absolutely fantastic. August 16, 2016http://www.brutalresonance.com/review/electric-dragon-covenant/4

Electric Dragon - Covenant

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how in the fuck former rhythm guitarist for extreme metal group Vallenfyre, Ian Mullinger, has gotten the synthwave game down so well he's beating veterans at their own genre. Perhaps the metalhead is more of a electronic nutcase than anyone has ever panned him out to be. Needless to say his previous album Paranormalizer was a decent success with me though I knew Ian Mullinger under the project name of Electric Dragon had much more potential than the debut showed off.

With all that said Electric Dragon is about to release their next album titled Covenant and I will gloat in my prophecy of ED doing much better than they did with their debut. I like being right especially when it comes to pointing out musicians with potential. I'm glad that Mullinger didn't disappoint me and make me look like an ass or get my hopes down...Yet.

The one thing that does irk me about the album - though this is not going to detract any points at all for this is just me being a genre stickler - is that Electric Dragon's bandcamp page refers to the album as "...a Darkwave monster..." When I think Darkwave I think Joy Division, Gary Numan, and The Cure and Electric Dragon does not fit that description at all and I'm glad of it. 'Covenant' is a damned good synthwave beast that I am holding high.

The title track 'Covenant' is just an 80s nerd's dream that combines awesome power metal like guitar work with all things electronic; dream electronic synths pulsate and pound away the beginning to this story. The song itself and it themes coincide well with the medieval lore bound within Electric Dragon's world. I could honestly see this whole album being a soundtrack for a cheesy B-movie homage to all those stuck-in-virtual-space movies where a protagonist has to fight off an evil sorcerer in an unreal world.

From there a combination of lo-fi electronic goodness and well produced synths take over. Each song plays off its title in an almost deconstructing way, such as howls being brought out alongside chimes in 'Wolf's Blood' and spooky bells and sounds being wrung out in 'Witching Hour'.

'The Curse' has an amazing grinding, atmospheric layering to it and even goes into a bit of dark ambiance before reblasting you in the face with amazing synth work. I forgot to mention the wonderful chase like music played throughout 'Dark City' as well as the very well produced track 'Legion Black'. So, if you're thinking about skipping it, don't. Or I will find you. And hurt you. In the balls.

'Heretic' is just grand in all the right ways, featuring holy choral samples, a thunderstorm, and what sounds like a demon being summoned from Hell. The track is therefore epic and worthy of a final boss fight in any video game or even the fucking real life post apocalypse that everyone hopes for. The final song on the album 'Escape' is just more Electric Dragon goodness; a great beat, great synths, and an even greater end to a great album. Great. Great. Great.

The fun doesn't end there, however, as two remixes are attached to Electronic Dragon's Covenant. The first of is a remix of 'Dark City' done by fellow synthwave rocker Volkor X. He gives out a wicked crunchy guitar rework of the song that's tougher and grittier than the original and just as good. The second remix came from house/retrowave artist Gost who reworked 'Witching Hour' into a track that built up as it went. It starts off minimally, gradually increases sounds, and finished off with some decent noisey work.

But, yes, I think I said enough and if I haven't convinced you to at least go out and check this one out then you're obviously just a cunt. Electric Dragon's Covenant is absolutely fantastic.

Off label

Steven Gullotta

I've been writing for Brutal Resonance since November of 2012 and now serve as the editor-in-chief. I love the dark electronic underground and usually have too much to listen to at once but I love it. I am also an editor at Aggressive Deprivation, a digital/physical magazine since March of 2016. I support the scene as much as I can from my humble laptop.